Georges St-Pierre Gets Golden Treatment Upon UFC Return

It’s always nice to have options. It’s even better to get everything you want when you finally make your decision.

That’s the boat former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (pictured) is currently sitting in after UFC president Dana White said he’d allow St-Pierre to choose his opponent if he decides to return – current champ, top contender, can, whoever.

“It would be tough to deny that GSP comes right back and doesn’t fight for the title, you know what I mean?” White told UFC.com. “GSP can do whatever he wants. If he wants to come back and fight for the title, or if he wants a fight before that – he can do whatever he wants.”

In March, three months after St-Pierre announced he was relinquishing his welterweight title to take a “break” from MMA, White said he knew for a fact his biggest pay-per-view draw would eventually come back. Fast forward six months and not a peep from St-Pierre about getting the itch to fight again.

However, his longtime trainer and friend, Firas Zahabi, cracked open the cage door this week when he told ESPN.com that he thought GSP still has a few more fights left in him, but didn’t think he’d be ready to return until mid to late 2015 – if that’s the course he chose to take.

White echoed that sentiment, particularly because St-Pierre was at the height of his career, not at the tail end where he’s getting pummeled against younger, faster and stronger competition, when he opted to bounce.

“It’s always a huge debate on a guy who’s had a career like GSP – to go out on top and walk away with the belt,” White said. “That’s a personal decision that a fighter has to make. Being the competitor that GSP is, I can’t see GSP [walking away yet]. But that’s up to him.

“Guys that I try to talk out of fighting anymore, like Chuck Liddell who had a string of knockouts – I just didn’t want to see it anymore.”

Something else St-Pierre gets if he decides to compete again is one of the primary factors that caused him to leave in the first place – the UFC implementing a random, out-of-competition drug testing program for blood and urine.

UFC vice president of regulatory affairs Marc Ratner told ESPN.com last month that they are in talks with up to five independent agencies to help them erase their perceived PED epidemic.